Surgery requires years of school and clinical training. With the invention of new technology comes the rise of robot-assisted surgery. While functional robots can perform some basic tasks, their connection to an online network poses a threat to cybersecurity.
Here are the four main cybersecurity risks of robot-assisted surgery that health care professionals should protect against.
1. Loss of Control of the Robot
An immediate concern is cyberattackers’ ability to take over the robot’s functions, especially during surgery. If this happens, the surgery is compromised. The patient might lose their life or be seriously harmed. Because surgery is often a matter of life or death, the risk of hacking easily outweighs the benefits of robots performing procedures.
2. Corrupted Data
Robots are trained on extensive data about the human body to operate successfully on a real person. For instance, some machines learn the steps of a surgery to advise surgeons during it. Cyberattackers can infiltrate the training process and modify protocols, causing the robot to malfunction or report incorrect information, which could endanger the doctor relying on it, the patient receiving care and the hospital’s processes.
Weak passwords or a lack of data encryption also make it easier for cyberattackers to infiltrate data storage spaces and modify the information. Without proper alert software, the misinformation could go unnoticed for a long time and lead to misdiagnoses, surgical mistakes and more.
3. Launched Attacks
The health care industry is a lucrative business, and it handles large amounts of sensitive data. Surgeries, extended hospital stays, births and other medical procedures generate significant revenue. Ransomware attacks are common in this field due to the large amounts of funds and private data available. If a hacker has control of a robot’s system, all surgical procedures come to a halt until the ransom is paid.
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are a common method hackers use. A robot-based DDoS might involve attackers forcing a hospital to halt operations through an influx of random data, not allowing any health care personnel to control the robot during the attack. This can create chaos that negatively impacts the surgery.
4. Information Breaches
Surgical robots have access to a plethora of sensitive information about the patient they are working on, along with data from similar patient surgeries to perform optimally. Hackers infiltrating the machine can take this information and sell or use it to impersonate the patient.
They can also expose the organization and cause loyal patients to leave the hospital and seek care elsewhere. Lost patients create significant financial damage.
How Health Care Organizations Can Minimize These Risks
Despite the risks, robots in surgery can provide several benefits. Their performance and calculations can be more precise than those of humans. Machines also tend to be more efficient, resulting in surgeries that are shorter in duration. When robots operate properly, a patient’s overall health outcomes and recovery time improve. The following are steps hospitals can take to secure their systems from cyberattacks.
Continuous Monitoring and Testing
Extensive testing should occur during the training process and throughout the robot’s actual performance in the hospital. Some useful tools include threat models, security risk assessments and penetration tests. Additionally, health care professionals should monitor any areas where third parties could potentially access the network.
Encrypting Data
The data is one of the most sensitive points of exposure for cyberattackers. Implement secure data encryption in the robot’s system and regularly identify and address potential weaknesses that arise. Restricted access should include multiple steps, like multi-factor authentication. A single password should not be the only barrier between a hacker and critical information. Data stored in a cloud structure should also be protected.
Separating the data between networks is another helpful data encryption strategy. If a hacker breaks into a network, they will not have access to the entire system, meaning only some of the information will be at risk. Prioritize areas containing the most sensitive data, like patients’ Social Security numbers, payment information and medical history.
Updating Regularly
Robot-assisted surgery technologies are relatively new, so continuous updates from the manufacturer are common. They will likely include new security protocols in each enhancement, so ensure the system receives each update as it comes out to keep it running as smoothly and safely as possible.
Training Employees
The IT department should train health care professionals on how to notice irregularities or suspicious activity from the robots, either through a course or a detailed pamphlet. Ensure they know how to report these discrepancies as well, allowing IT to address the issue before serious outcomes occur.
Planning for Incidents
A strong response plan allows the IT department and health care professionals as a whole to address and eliminate the attack quickly. Departments and teams should collaborate to develop a protocol for noticing, informing and taking action against cyberattacks. An effective alert system reports attacks immediately to limit damage.
Safeguarding the Future of Robotic Surgery
Robot-assisted surgery technologies can enhance surgeries with quicker recoveries and precise manoeuvres. However, the risks associated with using robots for surgery are serious, often leading to harm to patients if not prevented. Their interconnectivity presents serious cybersecurity risks. Organizations should employ robust protection if they want to successfully justify utilizing robots during medical procedures and receive the benefits.
By Zac Amos, ReHack
